Nitrous oxide
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Nitrous oxide, also called "Laughing Gas".
When inhaled, this gas acts as a dissociative anaesthetic. In addition to its ludible uses, it is a dental anaesthetic and is used industrially.
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Nitrous Oxide Synthesis
Nitrous Oxide (laughing gas) is most commonly made by the thermal decomposition of ammonium nitrate (NH4NO3). The chief impurity of the product is N2, although, NO2, N, O2, and CO2 may also be present, however, usually not in any quantity to approach toxcity. The resulting mixture is passed through water for purification.
You left out NO (nitric oxide), NH3 (ammonia), and H2O (water -- the other product of the *successful* reaction). Laughing Gas also states that the temperature (optimum or self-regulating, I don't know) for the reaction is 240 C. But they caution against trying it at home:
Occaionally, following in the footsteps of Priestly and Davy, individuals attempt to synthesize N2O. This is definitely not recommended, for several reasons. First, the synthetic process frequently employed (heating ammonium nitrate) may lead to an explosion, and has been the cause of major accidents and numerous injuries in the industrial synthesis of N2O. Second, other oxides of nitrogen may be obtained as byproducts of the synthetic process. One of these, nitrogen diooxide, is extremely toxic, and can lead to rapid destruction of lung tissue, even if inhaled in small quantities.
From what I read on rec.pyrotechnics, nitrogen dioxide lung damage is permanant and cumulative.
Laughing Gas also states that the boiling point of N2O is -88.44 C and that the partial pressure at 27.4 C is 60 atm (!). Does that mean those little whippits can withstand 60 atm??
I tend to think the danger of explosion is low if you keep the pressure down. The "Dr. Atomic" cartoon instructions even go so far as to make it an open system -- the end is a plastic bag LOOSELY HELD over the last hose. The good doctor says that you should only synthesize it if you are a professional chemist working under controlled laboratory conditions, but in the picture there is a home setup using three flasks. The first one contains the NH4NO3 and is heated. The third is a "bong" type device which bubbles the gas through water. The second is a trap to prevent the "bong" water from reaching the heated flask under negative pressure.
I wouldn't really worry about inhaling small quantities of ammonia, but I'd like to figure out a way to neutralize the NO and NO2. Would they react with baking soda (in the bubble flask)?
The PYRO file from rec.pyrotechnics lists two sources of ammonium nitrate. One is fertilizer, the other is "instant cold packs". I wonder how pure it is...
| Nitrous oxide | |
|---|---|
| |
| |
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| IUPAC name | |
| Other names | Laughing gas |
| Identifiers | |
| CAS number | 10024-97-2 |
| PubChem | |
| UN number | 1070 (compressed) 2201 (liquid) |
| ChEBI | |
| RTECS number | QX1350000 |
| ATC code | N01 |
| InChI | |
| ChemSpider ID | |
| Properties | |
| Molecular formula | N2O |
| Molar mass | 44.013 g/mol |
| Appearance | colorless gas |
| Density | 1.977 g/L (gas) |
| Melting point |
−90.86 °C (182.29 K) |
| Boiling point |
−88.48 °C (184.67 K) |
| Solubility in water | 0.15 g/100 ml (15 °C) |
| Solubility | soluble in alcohol, ether, sulfuric acid |
| log P | 0.35 |
| Vapor pressure | 5150 kPa (20 °C) |
| Refractive index (nD) | 1.330 |
| Structure | |
| Molecular shape | linear, C∞v |
| Dipole moment | 0.166 D |
| Thermochemistry | |
| Std enthalpy of formation ΔfH | +82.05 kJ/mol |
| Standard molar entropy S | 219.96 J K−1 mol−1 |
| Pharmacology | |
| Routes of administration | Inhalation |
| Metabolism | 0.004% |
| Elimination half-life | 5 minutes |
| Excretion | Respiratory |
| Hazards | |
| MSDS | ICSC 0067 |
| EU Index | Not listed |
| Flash point | Non-flammable |
| Related compounds | |
| Related nitrogen oxides | Nitric oxide Dinitrogen trioxide Nitrogen dioxide Dinitrogen tetroxide Dinitrogen pentoxide |
| Related compounds | Ammonium nitrate |
| Except where noted otherwise, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C, 100 kPa) Infobox references | |
Subjective Effects of Nitrous Oxide
by William James, from "Mind", Vol. 7, 1882. Some observations of the effects of nitrous oxide gas-intoxication which I was prompted to make by reading the pamphlet called "The anaesthetic revelation and the gist of philosophy" (Blood, 1874), have made me understand better than ever before both the strength and the weakness of Hegel's philosophy. I strongly urge others to repeat the experiment, which with pure gas is short and harmless enough. The effects will of course vary with the individual, just as they vary in the same individual from time to time; but it is probable that in the former case, as in the latter, a generic resemblance will obtain. With me, as with every other person of whom I have heard, the keynote of the experience is the tremendously exiting sense of an intense metaphysical illumination. Truth lies open to the view in depth beneath depth of almost blinding evidence. The mind sees all logical relations of being with an apparant subtlety and instantaniety to which its normal consciousness offers no parallel; only as sobriety returns, the feeling of insight fades, and one is left staring vacantly at a few disjointed words and phrases, as one stares at a cadaverous-looking snowpeak from which sunset glow has just fled, or at a black cinder left by an extinguished brand.
The immense emotional sense of reconciliation which characterizes the "maudlin" stage of alcoholic drunkenness -- a stage which seems silly to lookers-on, but the subjective rapture of which probably constitutes a chief part of the temptation to the vice -- is well known. The centre and periphery of things seem to come together. The ego and its objects, the meum and tuum, are one. Now this, only a thousandfold enhanced, was the effect upon me of the gas: and its first result was to make peal through me with unutterable power the conviction that Hegelism was true after all, and that the deepest convictions of my intellect hitherto were wrong. Whatever the idea of representation occurred to the mind was seized by the same logical forceps, and served to illustrate the same truth; and that truth was that every opposition, among whatsoever things, vanishes in a higher unity in which it is based; that all contradictions, so-called, are of a common kind; that unbroken continuity is of the essence of being; and that we are literally in the midst of an infinite, to perceive the existence of which is the utmost we can attain. Without the same as a basis, how could strife occur? Strife presupposes something to be striven about; and in this common topic, the same for both parties, the differences merge. From the hardest contradiction to the tenderest diversity of verbiage differences evaporate; yes and no agree at least in being assertions; a denial of a statement is but another mode of stating the same, contradictions can only occur of the same thing -- all opinions are thus synonyms, are synonymous, are the same. But the same phrase by different emphasis is two; and here again diffence and no-difference merge in one.
It is impossible to convey an idea of the torrential character of the identification of opposites as it streams through the mind in this experience. I have sheet after sheet of phrases dictated or written during the intoxication, which to the sober reader seem meaningless drivel, but which at the moment of transcribing were fused in the fire of infinite rationality. God and devil, good and evil, life and death, I and thou, sober and drunk, matter and form, black and white, quality and quantity, shiver of ecstasy and shudder of horror, vomiting and swallowing, inspiration and expiration, fate and reason, great and small, extent and intent, joke and earnest, tragic and comic, and fifty other contrasts figure in these pages in the same monotonous way. The mind saw how each term belonged to its contrast through a knife-edge moment of transition which it effected, and which, perennial and eternal, was the nunc stans of life. The thought of mutual implication of the parts in the bare form of a judgement of opposition as "nothing -- but," "no more -- than," "Only -- if,", etc. produced a perfect delirium of theoretic rapture. And at last, when defininte ideas to work on came slowly, the mind went through the mere form of recognizing sameness in identity by contrasting the same word with itself, differently emphasized, or shorn of its initial letter. Let me transcribe a few sentences:
What's mistake but a kind of take? What's nausea but a kind of -usea? Sober, drunk, -unk, astonishment. Everything can become the subject of criticism -- how criticise without something to criticise? Agreement -- disagreement!! Emotion -- motion!!! By God, how that hurts! By God, how it doesn't hurt! Reconciliation of two extremes. By George, nothing but othing! That sounds like nonsense, but it's pure onsense! Thought much deeper than speech...! Medical school; divinity school, school! SCHOOL! Oh my God, oh God; oh God!
The most coherent and articulate sentence which came was this:
There are no differences but differences of degree between different degrees of difference and no difference.
But now comes the reverse of the medal. What is the principle of unity in all this monotonous rain of instances? Although I did not see it at first, I soon found that it was in each case nothing but the abstract genus of which the conflicting terms were opposite species. In other words, although the flood of ontologic emotion was Hegelian through and through, the ground for it was nothing but the world-old principle that things are the same only so far and no farther than they are the same, or partake of a common nature -- the principle that Hegel most tramples under foot. At the same time the rapture of beholding a process that was infinite, changed (as the nature of the infinitude was realized by the mind) into the sense of a dreadful and ineluctable fate, with whose magnitude every finite effort is incommensurable and in the light of which whatever happens is indifferent. This instantaneous revulsion of mood from rapture to horror is, perhaps, the strongest emotion I have ever experienced. I got it repeatedly when the inhalation was continued long enough to produce incipient nausea; amd I cannot but regard it as the normal and inevitable outcome of the intoxication, if sufficiently prolonged. A pessimistic fatalism, depth within depth of impotence and indifference, reason and silliness united, not in a higher synthesia, but in the fact that whichever you choose it is all one -- this is the upshot of a revelation that began so rosy bright.
Even when the process stops short of this ultimatum, the reader will have noticed from the phrases quoted how often it ends by losing the clue. Something "fades", "escapes"; and the feeling of insight is changed into an intense one of bewilderment, puzzle, confusion, astonishment: I know no more singular sensation than this intense bewilderment, with nothing particular left to be bewildered at save the bewilderment itself. It seems, indeed, a causa sui, or "spirit become its own object."
My conclusion is that the togetherness of things in a common world, the law of sharing, of which I have said so much, may, when perceived, engender a very powerful emotion; that Hegel was so unusually succeptible to this emotion; throughout his life that its gratification became his supreme end, and made him tolerably unscrupulous as to the means he employed; that indifferentism is the true outcome of every view of the world which makes infinity and continuity to be its essence, and that pessimistic or optimistic attitudes pertain to the more accidental subjectivity of the moment; finally, that the identification of contradictories, so far from being the self-developing process which Hegel supposes, is really a self-consuming process, passed from the less to the more abstract, and terminating either in a laugh at the ultimate nothingness, or in a mood of vertiginous amazement at a meaningless infinity.
Metdod of action
N20 is a weak anaesthetic gas that has been in use since the late 18th century both in surgery and at parties. It is also used in the dairy industry as a mixing and foaming agent as it is non-flammable, bacteriostatic (stops bacteria from growing) and leaves no taste or odour on the food.
N2O does not combine with haemoglobin, but is carried free in the blood and excreted unchanged through the lungs. The risk of hypoxia comes not from any interaction between N2O and O2 in the blood or brain, but from simply not inhaling oxygen often enough. The vast majority of deaths from N2O abuse have been through stupidity (tying a plastic bag full of N2O round the head, letting off a tank in a airtight place, that sort of thing). There have been a few cases of malignant hyperthermia (raised body temperature),and this is considered a potentially serious threat to those with the genetic requirement (check out your family history - look for deaths during surgery, both minor and major).
There are 4 stages of general anaesthesia. The first is drowsiness, confusion and analgesia. The second stage involves excitement, euphoria, spontaneous muscle movements, hallucinations (auditory and visual). The third stage is loss of consciousness, and the fourth stage is heading into coma, where the patient stops breathing. Anaesthetists generally aim for the upper levels of stage three, which is why some people 'wake up' during the operation - they've drifted up into stage two. From personal experience, I think that recreational use of inhalational anaesthetics (N2O and ether) induce stage 2 and sometimes stage 3, depending on the pattern of use.
General Anaesthetics can give nausea and vomiting as a side effect, the risk of this is increased if you have been drinking alcohol. Not only is this a bit unpleasant but there is a risk of inhaling your own vomit if you are a bit confused or temporarily unconscious.
Reverse tolerance has been reported in the literature, and this seems to be confirmed by my own personal experiences. Reverse tolerance is getting more intense or prolonged feelings with the same or lower quantities of a drug. Most psychoactive substances don't work this way, I don't know why N2O does. As all traces of the gas are excreted from the body within an hour after cessation of use, it's not due to fat stores being reintroduced to the blood (as can happen with marijuana).
Be very careful of home made N2O. In some states of the US, there is a leaflet floating around with instructions on how to make your own, but you are almost guaranteed to end up with a lungful of assorted rubbish like NO2, H2NO3, and other yummy toxic things. REF: Annals of Internal Medicine, Vol 96, 3,Mar 1982,pp333-334:Home made Nitrous Oxide: No laughing matter.
Nitrous oxide will dissolve out of blood into air filled spaces eg the intestines, the middle ear. N2O in the gut will just give you a gut pain, but if you have ever had middle ear disease, or damaged ear drums, you could be in for permanent hearing loss. There are also some cases of transient hearing loss, but I don't know much about this.
There isn't very much in the medical literature about recreational use of N2O, which is a different pattern to surgical use. Next time I get a tank, I'll run a few tests and observations on my friends just to see what's really happening.
Recreational use of Nitrous oxide
Nitrous oxide (N2O) is a dissociative drug that can cause analgesia, depersonalization, derealization, dizziness, euphoria, and some sound distortion.
Since the earliest uses of nitrous oxide for medical or dental purposes, it has also been used recreationally as an inhalant, because it causes euphoria and slight hallucinations. Only a small number of recreational users (such as dental office workers or medical gas technicians) have legal access to pure nitrous oxide canisters that are intended for medical or dental use. Most recreational users obtain nitrous oxide from compressed gas containers which use nitrous oxide as a propellant for whipped cream or from automotive nitrous systems. Automotive nitrous available to the public sometimes has ~100 ppm sulfur dioxide and/or elemental sulfur added to prevent recreational use/abuse[citation needed]; (not hydrogen sulfide as suggested by). Inhalation of such a mixture is nearly impossible after one breath due to gagging and sooner or later, involuntary clamping off of the trachea; (some with "sulfite" allergies could even die due to allergic reaction).
Users typically inflate a balloon or a plastic bag with nitrous oxide from a tank or a one-use 'charger' (often referred to as a cracker, as it 'cracks' open the nitrous canister), and then inhale the gas for its effects. Highly compressed liquid expelled from a tank or canister is extremely cold, and should not be inhaled directly, thus for medical and recreational use it is decompressed into something else, such as a balloon, first. Mis-cracked canisters can cause skin damage due to freezing temperatures.
Recreational users typically do not mix it with air or oxygen and thus may risk injury or death from anoxia if they tie plastic bags around their heads or otherwise obstruct their breathing.
Nitrous oxide can be habit-forming because of its short-lived effect (generally from 0.1 – 1 minutes in recreational doses). Long-term use in excessive quantities has been associated with vitamin B12 deficiency anemia due to reduced hemopoiesis, neuropathy, tinnitus, and numbness in extremities, unless vitamin B12 supplements are taken to counteract this. Pregnant women should not use nitrous oxide as chronic use is teratogenic and foetotoxic. One study in rats found that long term exposure to high doses of nitrous oxide may lead to Olney's lesions that may become persistent.
Legality
In the United States, possession of nitrous oxide is legal under federal law and is not subject to DEA purview. It is, however, regulated by the Food and Drug Administration under the Food Drug and Cosmetics Act; prosecution is possible under its "misbranding" clauses, prohibiting the sale or distribution of nitrous oxide for the purpose of human consumption.
Many states have laws regulating the possession, sale, and distribution of nitrous oxide. Such laws usually ban distribution to minors or limit the amount of nitrous oxide that may be sold without special license. In most jurisdictions, such as at the federal level, sale or distribution for the purpose of recreational consumption is illegal.
In some countries, it is illegal to have nitrous oxide systems plumbed into an engine's intake manifold. These laws are ostensibly used to prevent street racing and meet emission standards.
Nitrous oxide is entirely legal to possess and inhale in the United Kingdom, although supplying it to others to inhale, especially minors, is more likely to end up with a prosecution under the Medicines act.
In New Zealand, the Ministry of Health has warned that nitrous oxide is a prescription medicine, and its sale or possession without a prescription is an offense under the Medicines Act. This statement would seemingly prohibit all non-medicinal uses of the chemical, though it is implied that only recreational use will be legally targeted.
In India, for general anaesthesia purposes, nitrous oxide is available as Nitrous Oxide IP. India's gas cylinder rules (1985) permit the transfer of gas from one cylinder to another for breathing purposes. This law benefits remote hospitals, which would otherwise suffer as a result of India's geographic immensity. Nitrous Oxide IP is transferred from bulk cylinders (17,000 liters capacity gas) to smaller pin-indexed valve cylinders (1,800 liters of gas), which are then connected to the yoke assembly of Boyle's machines. Because India's Food & Drug Authority (FDA-India) rules state that transferring a drug from one container to another (refilling) is equivalent to manufacturing, anyone found doing so must possess a drug manufacturing license.